


Can You Stay?

by badwolfofbakerstreet



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Cas isn’t dead, Destiel - Freeform, I’m so happy, M/M, Post-Episode: s13e04 The Big Empty, cause yknow, episode: s13ep04 coda, hoorah for that, of course, so is dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-07
Updated: 2017-11-07
Packaged: 2019-01-30 14:40:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12655545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badwolfofbakerstreet/pseuds/badwolfofbakerstreet
Summary: Here’s a big ol hunkin coda for episode 4: The Big Empty. We all have our hopes as to what the reunion will be like! Here’s a look at mine





	Can You Stay?

**Author's Note:**

> For a look into the title of this song, go onto Spotify, or the internet, like YouTube, (you’re already on the internet, I know), and listen to “Can You Stay” by The Family Crest. A good indie band I like. Cause it’s good. Oh it’s so good. So very good. Especially if we want to relate it to our two favorite emotionally stunted losers in love. 
> 
> Okay enjoy byyyyeeee

The door opened, Dean, Sam, and Jack all sprang up from their seats around the table and looked up, startled. Dean had his gun raised before the intruder had even made it to the stairs. His stomach twisted as their unexpected guest descended to meet them. He could hear Sam’s breath hitch beside him and Jack looked to them, confused.

“Who-“ Jack asked, but he stopped, and Dean suspected that he knew who this trench-coated stranger was.

“Hello Dean, Sam-“ The deep voice filled Dean’s ears, the voice he’d never expected to hear again calmed so many of his nerves, “Jack.” He smiled a strange thing, it was so fatherly that Dean wondered for a fleeting moment if it had been him who had slept with Kelly and fathered the kid.

“Castiel.” Jack’s voice was full of wonder and he ran forward, embracing the returned angel and Dean felt the panic return.

How did they _know_ this was really Cas?

Then Sam stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the both of them, it was a sight to see. Dean did not join them, instead his gun fell awkwardly to his side and he tightened his grip on the handle. The cool metal was reassuring, it was familiar, it helped him feel safe. If this intruder turned out to be another shifter trying to kill them, or a zombie, or a ghost, or anything else, he wouldn’t hesitate.

“We burned your body.” Sam proclaimed as they all stepped away from the angel, “How are you here?”

“I-“ Cas’s brow did that creasing thing that drove Dean crazy and he hesitated, “well to be honest, I don’t know. Wherever I was, it was empty. Just a void. Nothingness. I was sleeping, and then suddenly I wasn’t.”

“Who woke you up?” Dean asked, picking up his drink from the table and knocking it back, relishing in the burn.

“I’m not sure, but I think it was Jack.” Castiel turned to the kid again, and smiled that fond smile and Dean felt a pang in his chest. He hadn’t even gotten to greet the guy and already his attention was diverted to his savior. Jack saved Cas, Dean couldn’t even get Chuck to respond to him, and Jack saved him.

“I wasn’t sure if I’d reached you, I just-“ Jacks words caught in his throat and he looked at Dean, then everyone looked at Dean, “There was so much pain because of your loss, I needed to try.”

“Well it worked. And I’m here now.” Cas turned to Sam and smiled, “Thank you for keeping him safe. We will leave in the morning-“

“What?” All three of them responded at once.

“I don’t want to leave. I like it here.” Jack exclaimed.

“You don’t have to go.” Sam added, and then Castiel finally looked at Dean, looked into his eyes, and Dean’s heart broke.

Dean couldn’t take it anymore, he had to escape. His best friend, his  _something_ , had just come back from the dead and was ready to flee again. How could he-

“I’ve gotta go.” Dean turned immediately and headed straight for his room. He heard mumbling behind him and knew Cas would be following him. He knew there was a conversation to be had. He didn’t even bother closing his door behind him, he let Cas follow.

Castiel, to Dean’s surprise, did shut the door behind them. Dean stood in the middle of his room, staring at the foot of his bed as Cas stood awkwardly with his back against the door.

“I need to take Jack away, you never wanted him here. I’m sorry for burdening you with-“

“You _died_ , Cas.” Dean was filled with a sudden rage and he needed to let it out, he rounded on the angel so quickly the man jumped in surprise, “You were gone, and Jack was- he was a full grown adult. And you were just _gone_. Okay. There was no hope. You didn’t come back, Chuck didn’t-“ Dean’s voice broke and he could feel the tears. The burning in his eyes and throat, the lump that couldn’t be swallowed.

He couldn’t help but let out the sob, the one that had been sitting dormant since Lucifer drove a silver blade through his best friend. The tears spilled out, and his hands flew up to rub at his mouth as he cried.

“There was nothing to be done, Cas. We burned you, we said goodbye. I said goodbye- I tried to save you, Jack couldn’t. He said he couldn’t. And I was so mad at him for taking you from me. I know it wasn’t his fault, he didn’t stab you with that damned blade. But he might as well have. And mom is gone, and Crowley was gone, and you were just, you were lying there, your wings were burned into the ground, man.”

“Dean-“ Castiel’s voice sounded equally ruined and Dean saw he had matching tears as he held up a hand, signaling the angel to let him finish.

“I missed you every damn day, and I took it out on the kid. I know I shouldn’t have. It could have turned out real bad, man. Real bad. But Sam was there for him, he did good, you know?” Dean sat on the edge of his bed, letting his head fall into his hands, he cried silently for a few moments, all his words came to a halt and he needed to know- “How did you even manage to come back?”

“I met the celestial entity that controls the void and sort of... annoyed my way back to life.” Dean looked at Cas, who’s face was entirely too sullen and serious for what he’d just said and Dean couldn’t contain the hysterical laugh that made its way out of his throat. Cas looked startled at the noise and Dean laughed harder at his wide and confused eyes.

He laughed for a solid minute until his stomach hurt. He laughed the most he’d laughed in months, probably years. Only Cas could make him feel this way.

He stopped laughing.

He stood, and made his way to Castiel, who’s back was no longer pressed against the door. Dean changed that as he backed him up against it and pressed his face into the man’s neck, breathing him in.

“Don’t go. Stay here, this is your home. It’s Jack’s home.” Dean dragged his lips over the warm skin of Castiel’s neck and brushed the side of his face against the angels. He accepted it, as though he’d been waiting for this moment, anticipating it, even.

“I can’t burden you-“

“Family isn’t a burden. You’re our family, and now so is the kid.” Dean pulled back and brought his unsteady hands up to cup Castiel’s face, “We’re family, we need you, I-“ Dean hesitated, the familiar words felt stale against his tongue. He couldn’t cop out, not again.

“Dean?” Cas asked, his eyes shining with his unshed tears. He was waiting for the words. Whatever they may be. Dean closed his eyes, saw Castiel lying cold and unmoving on the ground, the charred remains of his wings etched into the dirt. He could remember kneeling beside the body and holding back his tears, he could remember shutting down as he went into autopilot as he wrapped Castiel’s body for buried. How he hesitated briefly, wanted to wait a while to see if he’d return. Dean opened them again when he realized there was no more time for hesitation. He knew somehow that this was their last chance.

“I love you.” The tears fell from the angel's blue eyes and Dean brushed them away, in an unexpected turn of events, Cas was the one who brought a hand up to the back of Deans head and pulled him forward, pressing their lips together in a chaste kiss. In fact, Dean wasn’t sure he’d ever had such a kiss in his entire life. There was no tongue, not even any extra lubrication, just two pairs of lips pressing together; and it was the greatest kiss of his life.

Cas released him and pulled back, his head fell forward to Deans collar bone and he stayed there for a moment, resting.

“I wasn’t sure that there was anything for me here.” Castiel’s voice was quiet, lacking confidence, it was small and childlike. Dean hated it, “The entity, he told me there was nothing for me here. He knew what I wanted, who I loved. And he said there was nothing for me.” Cas picked up his head on his final sentence and their eyes met. Deans heart broke again, because he’d let Cas believe that lie. He’d let him think that there was nothing for him. No family, no hope. He’d abandoned him in his time of need.

“I’m sorry, Cas. I’m so sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner.” Dean moved in again at once, hoping to kiss away any doubt that Cas might still harbor that he was loved. He breathed him in, enveloping himself in everything that was Castiel, reminding himself that this was real.

“Say you’ll stay.” Dean finally pulled away after kissing his lips red and raw, the burn on his face from Castiel’s unshaven jaw was a blessing and a curse, but one that he was glad to have.

“We’ll stay as long as you like.”

“Forever, then.” Dean stepped back and smiled, hoping it looked satisfied enough to show that he was serious. Castiel smiled back before he turned and reopened the door to Dean’s room.

He made to leave and Dean caught his hand, stopping him from going. He first laced their fingers together and kissed the back of Castiel’s hand.

“Hey, uh, if Jack mentions anything about me threatening to kill him, just uh, just know I was in a bad place-“

“That’s no excuse-“ Castiel eyed him seriously, “But we’ll talk about that later. For now, let’s go enjoy my return.”

They walked back into the war room, hand in hand.

**Author's Note:**

> But no, fo realz, listen to the song.


End file.
